Photography by Brenda Washington

When their practice's monthly transcription charges hit new highs a few years ago, family physicians Molly Parietti Scharf and Julie Morgan took the radical step of switching to handwritten notes. The move reduced their transcription costs immediately, says Dr. Scharf, but it also reduced legibility and encouraged brevity. And over time, Dr. Scharf began to develop thumb pain from the dozens of daily reports she had to write.

So in early 2007, Drs. Morgan and Scharf brought in Achieve Results to provide training to them and their nurse practitioner in Dragon Naturally Speaking software.

Almost immediately, the use of speech recognition software provided some key benefits. First, Dragon made the documents much more thorough and professional looking, says Dr. Scharf. Second, they were also more accurate because they were longer and more complete. The only downside, says Dr. Scharf, is that "it is tempting to go on and on," though thoroughness isn't a real disadvantage, she readily admits.

The practice does a lot of correspondence with specialists, says Dr. Scharf, such as referral letters to other doctors and notes. "Now, within seconds, I can have a professional letter to send off with patients," she explains. The correspondence looks much more polished.

Patient correspondence has also been improved through the use of Dragon, she says. Whereas patients used to receive a confusing sheet with boxes checked to indicate the tests that were administered and the results obtained, the doctors now easily summarize the results in plain language in a letter for their patients. Not only does it look more professional, but patients don't have to wade through a standard form to decipher their diagnosis.

Both the physicians, their staff, and patients have all seen the benefits of speaking charts, rather than handwriting or transcribing them. "It's amazing software," says Dr. Scharf.

Interview by Marcia Layton Turner, Layton & Co.